Family Cruise on the East Coast

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Gem

7 Night Eastern Canada & New England (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 12, 2013

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 5516

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 11 years ago

Review summary

Having cruised on 3 or 4 different cruise lines more than once I have to say that Norwegian cruise line in the best.  The food while not gourmet quality, is more than decent, and the crew is very attentive and pleasant.  We cruised from NYC to Nova Scotia and then returned, stopping in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.  This is not a cruise for youngsters in that most of the attractions are scenic, and costly.  But the cruise itself was great.  The shows were really top-notch and Norwegian always goes the extra mile for their passengers.  In several ports, there was hot chocolate and cookies waiting for us and at one port when it started to rain, crew members were at the ready handing out plastic ponchos.  Very thoughtful. Our rooms were clean and inviting and our steward went the extra mile and showed my 10-year old grandson how to make towel animals.  There were many dining venues and the fact that you don't have to carry evening clothes and dine at a specific time makes dinners far more enjoyable.  All in all, one of the best cruise experiences.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5
shows better than average

Children's Programs

don't know

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Sparkiing clean inside and out

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Skip the formal dining and eat in the buffets. Food is good and easier to deal with when traveling with children.

Ports of call

New York, New York

5 out of 5
What could be better than NY?

Halifax, Nova Scotia

3 out of 5
Little interest for the kids

Saint John, New Brunswick

3 out of 5

Bar Harbor, Maine

3 out of 5

Boston, Massachusetts

3 out of 5
Costly excursions

Newport, Rhode Island

5 out of 5
Touring mansions good, even for kids
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3 Comments

CruiselineQ    11 years ago

Thats a great tip! thank you.

JeezLouise    11 years ago

No excursions. Way too costly. There is a local bus that leaves from the tourist bureau (a few blocks walk from the cruise terminal) which makes the loop of all the mansions. You can get on and off wherever you want to stop. Very, very affordable. There was a long wait at one of the stops, but still worth it.

CruiselineQ    11 years ago

How did you tour the mansions in Newport? Was it through an excursion?